[newsimage]http://static.rankone.nl/images_posts/2012/03/bD76jL.jpg[/newsimage]Mark 2012 on your calendar. According to IHS, it will be the end of an era for flat-panel TVs and the beginning of a new one -- the first year the stalwart industry will post a decline in shipments.
Read the full article here: [http://www.myce.com/news/flat-panel-tvs-to-set-dubious-record-this-year-60790/](http://www.myce.com/news/flat-panel-tvs-to-set-dubious-record-this-year-60790/)
Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.

The industry will take a breather for a couple of years while they wait for broadband to be more universal… thanks in no small part to the collusion by Telcos & Cablecos alike to begin raising prices and not innovating. Some of the stale content available also doesn’t help… The transition to higher resolutions of HD and “SMART” integrated O/S, memory card slots (SDXC), and fiber optic/hdmi ports will remake the TV into a computer/all-in-one.

[QUOTE=tmc8080;2628307]The industry will take a breather for a couple of years while they wait for broadband to be more universal… thanks in no small part to the collusion by Telcos & Cablecos alike to begin raising prices and not innovating. Some of the stale content available also doesn’t help… The transition to higher resolutions of HD and “SMART” integrated O/S, memory card slots (SDXC), and fiber optic/hdmi ports will remake the TV into a computer/all-in-one.[/QUOTE]

The situation regarding the rollout of next generation broadband is different in different countries though and some are more proactive than others.

In Northern Ireland, where I live, fibre optic broadband is currently available to 89% of the population and they’re hoping to rollout the last few areas (where new cabinets are required) in the next couple of months.

Speeds are currently limited to 40Mb/s but as the result of successful trials this is scheduled to be doubled next month to 80Mb/s.